Smiles and Birds
by Samurai101
Summary: On his travels through China Sanosuke trades news and breakfast with none other than the fearsome Soujirou himself.::Oneshot::


Sanosuke had fallen asleep on the side of the road, unconcerned that anyone would attack him in his sleep or take his possessions. If any tried they would end up with a fist in their gut, and Sanosuke would finish the job by robbing the would be cutthroat. It was his own twisted justice, and he needed money anyway.

So, when a cheerful voice piped: "Ohaiyou Gozaimasu Sagara-san!" closer then anyone should have been able to get without waking him Sanosuke thought he was having a weird dream. Then, after he put a face to the voice, he knew he was having a nightmare or the berries he had eaten for supper were producing scandalous hallucinations.

Sanosuke glared at the smiling face, and blinked rapidly to clear his sleep grained eyes. "You are a bad hallucination." Sanosuke told the smiling face, and that caused a look of almost innocent confusion.

"But Sagara-san! I am not a hallucination!" The smiling face protested. "Though, I must say, I am very surprised to see you here myself. I had expected you to be happily settled in Tokyo with Himura-san and the rest of your friends, or have you no friends anymore?"

Sanosuke growled, and scrubbed a hand through his leaf littered hair. "I have friends, but I'm more interested in why you're talking to me." Sanosuke, oddly enough, did not feel threatened by the smiling face. He supposed the man in front of him had the same effect on many people. Who could feel threatened by a smiling idiot?

"Well, I am traveling in strange place among strange people, and when I saw a familiar face I just had to speak to you. I never realized how lonely traveling gets," The smiling man sighed, and looked slightly depressed. Sanosuke quirked his eyebrows up, and wondered if this really was Seta, Soujirou, the Tenken who had kill hundreds of men. He caught a glimpse of the boy's scarred hands, and the lean quality of his face. It appeared he was traveling around for ten years as he had said he would.

"So, you've said hello," Sanosuke squatted like a frog in front of the boy, and squinted in the morning sun. "Why're you still here?"

Seta Soujirou the Tenken laughed as if he was truly amused. "I want to know how Himura-san is doing, Sagara-san! I have heard lots of rumors of him, but you, being his friend, I'm sure could tell me the truth."

Sanosuke frowned at the boy. "Well, I see no reason to tell a former enemy what Kenshin's been up to, and I have a long way to go to get where I'm going."

"Ah, I should have expected this from you! How about a trade, then? I see you have no food with you, and I have breakfast enough for two people," Soujirou said proudly. "I'll lick it all if you're afraid it's poisoned," He added after seeing Sanosuke's hesitant look.

"Nah, don't bother. I'll take a gamble and just eat it," Sanosuke replied. Soujirou smiled even wider, and plunked down on the ground. He handed Sanosuke three rice balls, and began nibbling on his three. Sanosuke eat in silence for a while and then could stand it no longer.

"Why are you in China?"

Soujirou blinked, and froze in the act of licking rice off his thumbs. "Oh, China! You see, I became involved with a group who was traveling to China, and I have just gotten done with that great expedition. I'm trying to get back to Japan now. I've found I have no head for foreign languages." Soujirou sighed, and ate almost half a whole rice ball in one gulp. "I're oo in Tiena?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "I'm off to see the world, actually. I intend to get wherever the wind take me, and no man will stand in my way."

Soujirou clapped energetically. "Wow, truly poetic Sagara-san! I didn't know you had it in you!"

It occurred to Sanosuke he was being mocked. "Hey!"

Soujirou laughed and smiled. "Maa, maa-" Sanosuke choked. "I mean no harm." The boy had certainly mastered Kenshin's 'I-am-a-harmless-idiot' grin, only he made it more vibrant and catching. Sanosuke could never imagine Kenshin with a smile so wide and full of cheer.

"Sagara-san, since I've fed you, can you tell me what Himura-san is doing?" Soujirou turned two inhumanly large eyes on Sanosuke and smiled sweetly.

"Kenshin, well…" Sano paused for thought as he munched the last bit of rice ball. "After we kicked Shishio around his crazy, former brother-in-law came after him with a bunch of people even freakier then the Juupongatana." Soujirou seemed to take no offense to the comment, but in Sanosuke's opinion it was true. The Juupongatana had been a freaky bunch. "What was his name-Yukishiro, Enishi."

"Oh!" Soujirou clapped his hands and laughed. "Yukishiro-san was Himura-san's brother-in-law? I never would have guessed!" Soujirou laughed again. "So you've been dealing with the Chinese Mafia? Why did you come to China, though? Wouldn't it be bad if they found you?"

"Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem, and besides-" Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "I'd welcome a little fight to ease this monotony."

"Yare, yare," Soujirou cocked his head to the side like a small bird. "I forgot you're the type of person who enjoys fighting, Sagara-san. Just like Cho-san!"

"'Just like Cho'!? No way am I just like that broom headed idiot." Sanosuke snarled, which sent Soujirou into peals of laughter. Sanosuke growled under his breath, and aim a half-hearted kick at the Tenken, who was almost rolling on the ground in laughter. Soujirou dodged the blow easily, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Oh! Oh! You sound _just _like Cho!" Soujirou grabbed his sides, and shook in silent laughter. "Whaahahahaa!"

Sanosuke swore, and kicked at Soujirou again. This time he hit the boy, but it didn't stop the laughter. "Shut up, will you? Even if I do act a little like that idiot we're completely different. He's an absolute crazy-and so are you!" Sanosuke added the last bit as an almost after thought, but, as he watched Soujirou, he knew it was true.

"Me, crazy?" Soujirou smiled widely. "What makes you say that, Sagara-san?" Sanosuke shook his head. No one who was crazy ever thought they were crazy.

"Never mind," Sanosuke stood up, and brushed off a few very clingy leaves. "Thanks for the meal, kiddo."

"Doi tashi mashita," Soujirou stood up as well. "Thank you for the news, and perhaps you could point me towards a harbor that will take me back to Japan? Talking to you has made me realize how much I like understanding what people are yelling at me for." Soujirou's smile was almost wistful, and Sanosuke had sympathy for anyone who was lost.

Sanosuke sighed. "Follow this road till you reach a little village with a lot of women wearing funny hats in three days, and then go east. You'll get to a harbor town in a couple of days going that way, and ask for Tsoyu when you get there. If you tell him I sent you he'll let you cross for some work, and the food will be passable."

"Sugoi! Arigatou gozaimasu!" Soujirou bowed and looked ecstatic. "Sagara-san, you are you best!" Soujirou bowed again, and looked down the road. "I can get back to Japan in a few weeks!"

"Gee, just consider it payment for the food," Sanosuke grinned a little. "Just get going, and get somewhere you can get along."

"Arigatou gozaimasu!" Soujirou bowed again, and grabbed his back. He waved to Sanosuke, and then, with a funny little hop, vanished down the road, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Sansuke shook his head, and grabbed up his own bag. He headed off down the road in the opposite direction, whistling to himself.

**A/N: No, there is no point, other than having Sou-chan and Sano enteract. I used a bit of japanese-I'm learning the language, and I know just enough to be really, really dangerous. Below are the words, and their approximate meanings.**

Japanese Terms-  
Ohaiyou Gozaimasu-Good morning  
Maa Maa-Calm down  
Yare, Yare:Well, well  
Doi tashi mashita-You are welcome  
Arigatou gozaimasu-Thank you very much  
Sugoi-Amazing/Good 


End file.
